Ranma 12 Of Lesser
by WFROSE
Summary: See? I continue all my fics ^_^
1. Prologue

Okay, did some quick editing of this. I must be really tired with the rough draft. My Engrish no so bad... (sweats and hopes someone buys the 'poor foreign speaker' bit)  
  
  
  
  
Ranma 1/2  
"Of Lesser"  
Prologue  
  
  
  
  
High upon the lush mountains that overlooked the Austrian countryside, an infamous landmark shook from the battles waged within. It had been many years since the notorious 'Eagle's Nest', the place of Hitler's final loss, had seen such a desperate violence within its walls. From the pitch of the battle being warred inside, it well may be it's last...  
  
  
"You can't win, I won't let you!" Proclaimed a Strawberry blonde young lady of 15 years old. Even in the midst of danger, she was ecstatic. Truly now following in her father's footsteps, she battled with all her skill against a great evil, pushing herself beyond boundaries she had never comprehended she could ascend to and reaching new levels in her art. But in the back of her mind, even as noble the cause was right now, she had a more selfish goal in mind as she focused on getting the vial of serum that sat secure beyond her antagonist.  
  
"No, little girl, my 4th Reich will ascend, Neiche and Hitler's ideal of the Uberman shall finally gain it's rightful hold," brashly retorted the muscular yet very cut blue eyed but bald man wielding dark ki as if he held the very wrongness of sin in his thrall, "only the formalities remain." Each bolt of lightless force passed only a hair's width of the girl as she wove in and out, intending sincerely to end the Second Eagles reign in the most permanent and expedient manner. His plans for the main of humanity that did not succumb to a long dead madman's vision must not be realized, and he must pay for what he was attempting to take from her.  
  
Her focus was beyond any effort she had put forth in the past, humor in her had fled from the deadly grim determination set in the steel of her heart. This was a battle that could only end one way, and she resolved it would be her way. She had learned that his dark aura burned as white hot as any flame, and knew she couldn't attack him directly for too long. It also absorbed all energy attacks directly, which made hand-to-hand with another fighter seemingly equal, if not superior, necessary. Yet she would not let her determination falter. If there was some way, even the tiniest, it must be exploited. If it would only come before the will that fueled her past her boundaries exhausted itself...  
  
The Second Eagle's face grew into a cold smile as he saw his opponent faltering finally. It was galling him to no end that this... mockery the great Furor's vision, despite her almost fitting the ideal 'image', had fought him so far to a stalemate. If not for her flaw, she would have been welcome into the new world he was creating, but instead he was forced to infect her with his virus in order to stop her from spreading her... inferiority. His coming nation was all but safeguarded, but he would personally ensure her life was forfeit for what she was.  
  
Swishing a flaxen lock of hair from her face, the young lady steadily gave ground until she was but a few feet from a wall that faced to the side of a cliff. "Humph, it only does me proud that not only would I be rid of one of your... type, but I also get to end the dream of your miserable father's." The Second Eagle's face contorted into a mockery of compassion before continuing, "It's unfortunate that you failed to heed him, though I appreciate vermin such as you rushing headlong into their own demise" With that, the red lining of the Austrian's black Nazi style outfit began to grow an even deeper red, almost like the vibrant flowing of blood, and the black of his outfit seemed to absorb all light hungrily into it before he cried out the name of his final attack. "SCHWARTZ BLITZEN!"   
  
A dome of black crackling energy quickly grew forth in all directions, spread from the Austrian like cancer eating life from whatever it touched. If the sheer negative energy from the attack didn't kill her, surely the blast impact sending her through the wall and off the mountainside would.  
  
Maybe it was a moment of inspired genius, sheer desperation, an overriding need to make sure the Godless Bastard before her and his plans died along with her, or a combination of all three. Without a thought, she leapt into the ceiling, as hard as possible, her back ramming into the wood and stone that refused to give any less than her body as the air rushed from her lungs, and launched her final attack into the ground. Without precious breath, she couldn't call out its name...  
  
The Atomic Payload  
  
Like the morning star, the sky lit with brilliance that nothing less than a massive firebomb could compete. The sound and the rush of air frantically escaped the blast point, causing a heavy breeze that could be felt for almost a mile radius. As rock ruptured from the entire mountainside, the supports of the German landmark that didn't get carried away or obliterated totally by the blast fell from under it, succumbing to the undeniable beckoning of gravity. With sadistic satisfaction, the Strawberry haired warrior grinned as the Second Eagle fell among the rubble, and prayed that he suffered very much before he hit the ground. Out the corner of her eye, the glass casing that mockingly displayed her antidote fell along with the majority of the building. She had been very careful on a subconscious level to assure that the area her bounty was held suffered as little damage as possible, she wouldn't allow herself to be denied.   
  
Pushing herself from the ceiling she was imbedded to, she gave her faith to chance and dropped to intercept it. The glass casing was not durable, but she thanked her God and native Country that the vial holding her salvation was. As she bounded off of and dodged rocks and boulders, she savagely ran her desperate race of salvation.   
  
Nothing had ever felt so good in her life; her father's praises, a lover's embrace, the warm sun and a comfortable breeze, none of it compared to the feeling of wrapping her fingers around the vial. With her goal accomplished, it was simple enough for her to safely navigate her way down the rock drop and make it sound onto the ground with no muss.  
  
As she landed, she heard the light chuckle that sent a chill through her. Before even turning towards its direction, she quickly opened the vial and gulped its contents. "Heh, it will do you no good..." the Austrian, though still barely alive, would not be getting up as one of the living again, with his mid area crushed under a large rock and pinning him to the pile of rubble like a roach misshapenly pinned to a board by a railroad spike. Even with it being the one man she could hate eternally, compassion learned from her father took over, "Don't talk, it will make it worse. I'll... try to find you help." The words leaving her mouth tasted acrid, like decay rising from her heart. She did not care to do it, but it would be the right thing to do. Her father would be proud of her for at least one thing.  
  
Even with death caressing his face with one hand and pulling at his essence with the other, he tried to laugh at her with wheezing breath. "Little worthless bitch, it was well too late for the antidote to be effective to you!" Almost sobbing, he continued, "Did you truly think I would even dangle a carrot of a chance before you? You truly believe I'm some narcissistic villain from a funny? You're womb was dead the moment the virus came in contact with you!" He gave a choking laugh as he watched the shock appear on her face, then the utter despair since she knew. Though she had never encountered one before, it was obvious to her that a dying man wouldn't lie. But instead of the cold rage the dying Second Eagle wanted to savor for his last moments, she gave him a look, one that would be reserved for a rapid pet slowly closing it's eyes after being put to sleep.  
  
The Austrian balked at that her expression, and with what was little left of his ebbing strength, scowled at her, "I do not need your pity, I ensured your failure before your father's eyes. I gladly took from you your most precious dreams. Show... show me. Your ra.. ge, show... me....... a..... small vict...victor.......  
  
His head slumped back lifeless as she looked upon the crushed corpse. Her face set in stone, but her eyes were forgiving of a man who was lost to despairing madness long ago. After a few minutes, Rebecca herself slumped to her knees, physically exhausted, her once youthful exuberance dying along with her defeated foe.  
  
  
2 Years later....  
  
It seemed after the last wedding attempt, that things were heading uphill for one Ranma Saotome. The Fiancée brigade was giving him wide berth to recover for a bit from his past ordeals (though he suspected it was because they were wary of him after the attempted bombing of the wedding, which endangered Akane and his mother).   
  
His enemies avoided him, figuring that the young Saotome would be rather upset with them for their part in the wedding ordeal, and not wanting the force in which he dealt to Saffron directed towards them. If not that, the brutality that Ranma dealt to Tatawake Kuno for attacking him with a live blade was enough to keep them at arms length for a while. Even the times he had run in with Cologne, she had given him a newfound respect, and his encounter with Happosai yielded a totally different attitude from the old pervert.   
  
The master of the Anything Goes School did not take the opportunity when it was presented before him to make like proverbial octopus gene spliced with a mongoose and a vice grip and attach himself to a then female Ranma, instead choosing to cautiously ask how his young student was that fine day (Ranma noting to himself in wry amusement the cautiousness in the senile pervert's voice). Ranma felt empowered by the nervousness from the old man and decided to test the waters with one of his usual smart alec quips, and instead of facing Happosai's rather over exaddurated wrath, the ancient martial artist chocked his reply back and actually COMPLIMENTED Ranma on his clever response. He then proceeded to lecture how the rest of the world's youth should all have his student's ire. It seems destroying a practical god tends to put the fear of the Kami into one's associates.   
  
This didn't go unnoticed by Happosai's two former students, who at that moment realized that if Happosai now considered Ranma dangerous to contend with, maybe the wedding they were secretly planning for that night should be put off for a bit. Ranma's mother was well too impressed by her manly son's new commanding presence over friends and enemies alike to voice to Ranma his duty of marrying Akane. Akane herself stopped hitting Ranma for a while and acted as cute as a button, admitting to Ranma that she had strong feelings for him (though her pride wouldn't let her call it 'love', per say). Even his curse now didn't seem to bother him, as in some points it was even welcomed, now that his female form started growing even more gorgeous than before, earning him even one more extra scoop of ice-cream, one more sweet bean bun, an extra stick of barbequed squid....  
  
Life was good for Ranma Saotome.  
  
Unfortunately, Fate looked upon Ranma Saotome and thought it would be funny if...  
  
All he did was bend down to see a shiny 100 yen coin lying on the ground, and now Ranma found himself running for his life. "Get BACK HERE SAOTOME! YOU NAUGHTY DELINQUENT! NO ONE GETS AWAY WITH LOOKING UP MY DRESS!" "...And not intending to do anything about it," a now adult, and self-admitingly VERY lonely, Hinako silently amended to herself. Though she had a buxom form in her true age, most guys found it a straight turn off when she went into child form. Oh Kami, what she wouldn't give for a pedophile. She just happened to be making her bi-monthly trip to the 'Adult Novelty' store, her mind working through a new game she read out of a magazine article that started 'Dear Penthouse, I never thought it would happen to me,' that she would need a new 'toy' for, when she had felt her dress rise, and looked down to see a familiar red and dark blue ensemble and a familiar voice wondering where the yellow tent with the red lace thread tying two flesh colored poles came from.   
  
Once Ranma realized his mistake, the chase was on, eventually garnering the attention of Shampoo, Ukyo, and Kodatchi, whom all intended to save Ranma from temptation. Kodachi's reason changed when Ranma caught a soaking from a freak accident involving a sink installed Bretta filter that managed to douse him from through a closed window and 25 yards away, as she now sought to wreak her revenge upon the pigtailed hussy that dared spirit her Ranma-sama away from her sight. Akane's inadequacies returned tenfold as the suspicious necklace her father fiercely and positively insisted she wear while around Ranma shattered into microscopic specs after seeing Ranma being chased by their amorous teacher and joined the party. Ryoga idly wondered what Ranma was doing in a Japanese city in the American state of Mississippi and noted that Akane was chasing the pigtailed boy with a fury. Whatever Ranma did to have Akane chase him over halfway around the world deserved to have her punished by Ryoga's own hands. Mousse could not tolerate Ranma's womanizing ways no longer and went against the advice freely given to him that if he enjoyed sucking air, he would leave Ranma alone for a few... years. Kuno, Tsubasa, and Mikado Senzinan, were along for the merry comedy, which all three just ended up chi fodder for Hinako to maintain her adult form.  
  
"It'snotmyfaultit'snotmyfaultit'snotmyfault," Ranma silently chanted to herself, finally having given up trying to tell everyone else that and deciding to settle for convincing herself. Deciding that she had enough exercise and life threats for the day, Ranma turned on a dime into an alleyway and slipped into the Umisenken. She wryly thought that even her father would have to approve the use of a forbidden technique to ensure self preservation (after all, Genma most assuredly COULD NOT argue the point), and held her breath as the Japanese style necktie party ran right past her.  
  
Exhaling after the ferret that was rapidly following the group (no doubt also having some beef with Ranma, probably a fiancée or something) cleared the alleyway, the pigtailed martial artist decided that it probably wouldn't be the best of times to head back to the Tendou dojo, and walked into a nearby pub to catch her breath until the coast was absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt, clear. Ranma only idly noted that only the bartender and a flaxen haired foreigner were the only other occupants, perhaps she would have time to think to herself and figure out what went wrong this time. 


	2. Introductions

Ranma; Of Lesser  
Chapter 1  
"Of lesser Introductions"  
  
Ranma casually made her way up to the bar, deciding if she was going to hiding out here for a while, she may as well patronize it. "A Calpico would really hit the spot, Mr. Bartender," Ranma's advanced Anything Goes martial arts aquasexual technique; 'the cornered minx' yet again didn't fail the redhead, as her big cutesy eyes and her sudden diabetic inducing countenance won her the drink of choice on the house. After receiving her can, Ranma blinked when she heard a groan from the other bar patron's direction, and turned to see the other girl looking at her with peculiar observance. The foreign girl realized that her attention was being returned, and snorted in disgust before turning away, "You don't feel an ounce of shame doing that, do you?" "Well, if you got it...." Ranma let the sentence hang with a smirk on her lips before the can reached them.  
  
"I'm glad one of us has more going for them than dignity," mumbled the flaxen haired young lady as she studied the surface of the bar closely. "Now what is that supposed to mean," Ranma demanded, her face flushing as red as her hair, she knew an insult when she heard one, even if she wasn't sure what it meant. "Oh, nothing, don't listen to the rants of a useless ol' girl like me," the other girl's voice was low and sullen, with more than a bit of bitterness and contempt for herself soaking it. Ranma stared dumbfounded at the other girl for a minute before she turned to the bartender, when she realized he wasn't going to get anymore of a response.  
  
"Betja don't believe in magic, huh?" Ranma was a bit startled when the girl started to speak to her again, but deadpanned her reply, "Like I have a reason not to." The girl continued, ignoring the redhead's sarcasm, "Been walking all around the world, look'n for a cure to my problems, when lucky me, I hear of a place that could help me out." "What type of problem is that," Ranma asked, totally confused by the sudden openness being displayed. "A place with some supposed magic, something in the springs that turns you into whatever died in them." Ranma stared incredulously at the flaxen haired girl, "don't tell me, you got a Jusenkyo curse?" The other girl snorted, "Ha, I wish, unfortunately the springs were destroyed a while back by some big fight that was in the.... how did you know about Jusenkyo?" "Uh, well, It's a... long story," Ranma stammered, not wanting to reveal her curse to a total stranger, "but why in the world would you want to go there anyway? That place is dangerous!" The other girl's whisper was hardly audible, which caused Ranma to prompt her newfound associate to speak clearer, "I want to be a woman again."  
  
"Hmm? So you have some other curse on you or something," Ranma's enquired, and then upended her drink over the other girl. Furious, the strawberry blonde girl shot out of her seat and threw a punch at the other girl, one that Ranma barely dodged in time. "Whoa, she's fast!" Ranma thought to herself, "barely even saw her move." The other girl blinked when she realized she missed, but brushed that thought aside to make room for her righteous anger, "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!?!?" "Uh, I wanted to see what you turned into, s'all.... waitaminute..." Ranma put the clues together and came up with the full puzzle, "YOU FOUND A CURE FOR YOUR CURSE?!?!?" Unfortunately, all those pieces were hammered into incorrect parts to make a picture that wasn't quite what was on the box. Sitting back down, the other girl dropped back into her black mood before replying half heartedly, disregarding the slight shame face of attacking another person with only a small provocation despite their athletic countenance, "No, dumbass, I still have my curse, I went to Jusenkyo to find the spring of drowned girl, because I hoped it would help counter the problem with me being barren. I mean, I'm not a whole woman anymore, and that was my only chance."  
  
"Uh, I guess, whatever," Ranma responded before he could get anymore confused, and asked the bartender for some hot water. Being Nerima, all residents happen to have a steaming kettle handy for such occasions; it's now even noted for visitors to do the same in the Visiting Nerima Guidebook. After giving his thanks, Ranma poured the liquid over himself before turning towards the way out, "Nice meet'n ya, even if you were kinda depressing...." The now male Ranma turned to see the look on the girl's face, a mixture of bewilderment, shock, and a bit of disappointment. Ranma snapped his fingers in realization, "Oh, right, not from Nerima..." forgetting the fact that she had known about Jusenkyo anyhow.  
  
"Y-you... you've been to Jusenkyo," whispered the girl with a little awe, then snapped back to reality with a realization at what she was presented, "PLEASE! Do you know anywhere else I may get the water from the spring of drowned girl?" "Uh, sorry, I... kinda destroyed all the springs by accident in a fight, you see, and, um...." Ranma stepped back a bit into a casual defensive stand as he felt the rising anger and fierce battle aura start from the strawberry blonde, and blinked as it winked out suddenly. "Musta been some fight..." mumbled the girl, "I guess I can't blame ya, as long as the fight was important for something," she figured she was right on the dot when a darkened look flashed across the pigtailed boy's face.  
  
"I... gotta go," curtly responded Ranma, and as he was about to take a step, the door to the bar flew open, and in it's breach stood a wet, smelly, and thoroughly pissed Akane, holding an equally wet, twice as smelly, and just as righteously pissed pet pig. "Ranma... if you knew what I had to go through looking for you.." Akane's voice dropped, leaving more than enough hint with the deadly calmed tone of her voice the implications for said hunt. "Uh, well, I can explain, A-Akane..." Ranma noticed that Akane didn't care for an explanation, she just wanted to find how far beyond Ranma's pain threshold he could go before he blacked out. The Pigtailed boy decided to accept his punishment, "Hey, are those new shoes you're wearing?"  
  
Akane blinked and looked down, "Huh? I've had these shoes for ages" Before she could look back up, she felt a breeze blow right by her, "OH NO RANMA! GET BACK HERE AND WELCOME DEATH LIKE A MAN!" With that, the girl with jet-black hair chased after her fiancée.  
  
  
"Been pretty quiet lately, eh Tendou?" Genma stated over their game of shogi. "Why yes, it has been a positively pleasant few weeks. It was a stroke of genius to purchase that mood stabilizing pendant for Akane at the cursed curio shop." "You think that may be a problem, Tendou? I mean the side effects he mentioned, though he didn't believe in that sort of thing..." "Never fear Saotome, it may leave my daughter an emotional cripple and autistic, but finally her temper will be controlled enough for Ranma to realize he loves her, and our houses will be joined!" Soun took out a couple of victory fans and smiled brightly at the proclamation. "I mean the problem with it affecting her ability to bear children," Genma said calmly as he slid another game piece into place. Soun blinked a couple of times as the information sunk in, then burst into tears, "OH NO! MY DAUGHTER WILL NEVER HAVE CHILDREN AGAIN! OUR UNITED SCHOOL WON'T SURVIVE ANOTHER GENERATION! WAAAAAHHH" Genma took advantage of his friend's melodramatic waterworks display to strategically arrange a more favorable and equal (although more equal for him) game.  
  
"Tendou, you hear that? Sounds like someone chanting... is Kasumi doing her 'Hail Marys' again?" Just as suddenly as his fit started, Soun dismissed his unbecomingly display, "Hmm? I don't believe she does that at this time of day. I really wish she would switch back to Shinto religion, it would break her mother's heart to find one of her daughters worshiping Western Theology..." The Chanting started getting closer, and now was able to be made out...  
  
diediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediedieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDIeDIeDIeDIeDIeDIeDIeDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE.......  
  
Ranma jumped over the wall surrounding the dojo, hoping that Akane would be slowed down enough for him to find another hiding spot. Unfortunately, Akane had finally mastered using her ki to power her jumps, allowing her to keep up with Ranma. "I'm tell'n ya it ain't my fault you uncute, unfeminine..." "THEN WHY WERE YOU GETTING THAT FOREIGN FLOOZY DRUNK??" Screamed Akane as she pulled another mallet from hammer space and hurled it at Ranma. Let it be known that Akane has a healthy imagination and can make the best possible explanation out of any presented situation; people swear she's a comedy genius for that talent. The pigtailed boy deftly dodged it and was about to reply, as he felt a shadow descend upon him...  
  
"RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!!!" Cried Ryoga as he descended with his umbrella aimed downward towards Ranma's skull. The pigtailed boy twisted in the air and out of the way of Ryoga's blow, "Hey, Mr. P, that was quick! Didn't expect you to get to hot water, then find us again for at least a few weeks." "SHUT UP RANMA! You'll pay for what you put Akane through today!" Ryoga swung wide at Ranma's chest, only to find his opponent almost seemed to disappear from the attack and a good distance away. "Aw, common Piggy, it's not like I meant to do it or anything..." Ranma was forced to bend back away from a mallet that almost grazed his cranium; Akane's aim was getting better. "QUIT PICKING ON POOR RYOGA!" Yelled Akane as she readied another mallet for launch. Ranma was standing in an awkward position as Ryoga advanced for the kill. Before Ranma could react, a reddish-brown and khaki streak intercepted Ryoga and slammed him into the perimeter wall, causing it to crumble onto the boy.  
  
"Two against one, isn't very fair now. Why don't we add one more so we can play nice and even?" asked the flaxen haired girl from the bar, wearing her trademark burnt red suede bomber jacket and slightly oversized khaki colored military pants.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ranma developed the 'Cornered Minx' technique for specific use with his curse form. Ranma's philosophy on the move is as a minx is cornered, it will use any means at its disposal to gain an advantage, which would include acting sickeningly cute to get what you want. 


	3. Introductions Part 2

Ranma 1/2  
Of Lesser  
"Of Lesser Introductions pt.2"  
  
  
Soun, Genma, Akane, and Ranma all stared at the new arrival that managed to knock Ryoga for a loop with little effort. "She seems like a powerful martial artist," commented Soun in a matter-of-fact tone, Genma nodded in affirmation. "Whoa, anyone who can do that to Ryoga has some serious power," Ranma commented to himself, then thought gratefully of the fact that she seemed to be assisting him. Akane stood weary of the new girl, if this was another one of Ranma's bimbos, she could easily see that the blond haired gaijin will probably be the biggest of problems.   
  
All reactions were well warranted as the girl's combative stance sang of experience, power, and skill. Everyone knew this new opponent's arrival would escalate things beyond their usual proportion, everyone mentally preparing for the bomb to drop. Suddenly the new girl made her move...  
  
"OUCH! SHIT! DAMN! WHAT IS THAT GUY MADE OF!" cursed Rebecca in English while shaking her aching fist, trying to relieve the feeling of punching reinforced steel as hard as she could from her knuckles as everyone around her face faulted. Ryoga finally managed to find his way out of the rubble he was buried in (by way of burrowing a hole into the ground then surfacing somewhere on the far side of the Tendou yard, even more furious than before. "YOU! How DARE you interfere with a man to man fight!" Rebecca stopped nursing her hand and turned to Ryoga with a deadpanned expression, "don't you mean man to man and woman?" Ryoga looked slightly shamefaced, but his anger burned away his embarrassment, "SHUT UP! Akane has just as much business killing Ranma as I do!"  
  
"Oh Ranmaaaa," Ranma froze to the saccharine sweet voice of Akane that sounded about as endearing as the Gates of Hell opening to greet another condemned soul, "why did this foreign bimbo follow you home?" The flaxen haired girl turned to Akane and mentally reevaluated the other girl to a more negative end of her 'personality spectrum'. "How many times can I tell ya that it's not my fault before you believe me?" questioned Ranma pleadingly. "Give it up, pal, don't look like the jealous little girl here's gotta trusting bone in her body," quipped Rebecca, beginning the time honored feminine tradition of raising ol' feline heckles. Akane began to partake in this not uncommon display of ladylike competition, but was on the defensive, "I am NOT jealous of this jerk!" "Well, then I guess you're just flat chested, brutish, spoiled, and cursed with a bad taste in hair styles," retorted Rebecca, folding her arms in triumph.  
  
Everyone winced at that one. "Man, that was really hitting below the belt," whispered Ranma to Ryoga, who nodded with a dry mouth about the hair insult. Akane was no longer in the mood to put things eloquently and unsheathed her proverbial claws, "SHI.......NE" Before both girls could begin their personal world war, a magical field of calmness suppressed their urge for hungry battle all too suddenly. "Oh, another guest, would you like to join us for tea," pleasantly enquired Kasumi, instantly taking the will for bloodshed from all local parties, as well as a few war guerillas in South America.  
  
"Hussy"  
"Spoiled little girl"  
"Bimbo"  
"How original for a pampered child like you"  
"Who you calling a pampered child? You're not any older than me!"  
"I refer to the mentally retardant one that sits before me"  
"But you're looking at.... grrrr, go find a strip bar to dance for you peroxide job!"  
"HEY! I'm damn proud of my natural hair color!"  
"Bout as natural as Clorox."  
"Obnoxious brat"  
"Barbie doll"  
"Who you get off calling me a Barbie doll?"  
"Don't know many other things around made up of as much silicon as you"  
"These babies are Grade A, American grown, ripe, firm all natural stock. From the looks of the lack of things though, you could use a Dolly Parton special to catch up with the rest of us who've been through puberty."  
"That hurt, you know?"  
"The Truth is discomforting at times"  
"How long have you acknowledged the truth of your weight problem?"  
"I'm completely lean female muscle, girlie"  
"Around here, we would call that girth."  
"Ooooh, if I wasn't a guest in your house I'd..."  
"You'd help yourself to more of the non fat free cookies no doubt. Thought about running off to a Jenny Craig's Halfway-house?"  
  
Ranma and Ryoga's heads looked between the girls, like they were watching a tennis match at Wimbledon. "Ranma," addressed Ryoga almost timidly. "Uh, yeah Ryoga?" "On our honor as martial artists, let us never let our rivalries become this out of hand." "Agreed." Both martial artists turned back to the word war that was reaching nuclear proportions, sighing as they acknowledged that this bout would go on indefinitely. "As interesting as it is to see my little sister wage a full scale cat assault, maybe we should find out what this other girl's doing here," questioned Nabiki, who finally (though begrudgingly) decided that her curiosity outweighed the entertainment value the two girls were putting up.  
  
"With hips like those, you could pass a 30 year old!" angrily retorted the blond haired girl before she settled down and turned away to ignore the vibrant string of Japanese spoken unpleasantries. "Well, why are you here?" Prompted Nabiki, who was ready to get to the bottom of things. The flaxen haired girl shrugged before responding, "Well, the walking sexual identity crisis walked into the bar I was moping at..." "SAOTOME! HOW DARE YOU INSTILL SUCH LOOSE MORALS WITHIN YOUR SON THAT HE WOULD PICK UP WOMEN FROM BARS!!!" Growled a  
demonically overbearing Soun towards a cowering Genma. The monstrous head turned towards Rebecca with just as equal menace, "AND YOU! RANMA WILL MARRY MY LITTLE AKANE AND UNITE THE TENDOU AND SAOTOME BLOODLINES! AND THAT'S FINAL!!!"  
  
Rebecca stared impassionedly at Soun, "Are you trying to intimidate me, Mr. Tendou?" "Why, yes, yes I am young lady," Replied the demonic Soun head in as pleasant as it could sound, what with it being a seemingly detached and disembodied voice. Rebecca's composure never broke except for the loud gulp of air she took in and the tiny bead of sweat running down her forehead, "does a pretty nifty job at that.... Saotome? Hold on, as in Ranma Saotome?"  
  
Soun returned to normal with a slightly bewildered look on his face, "Um, that's the boy's name, yes." "See boy? You're famous even in America!" Genma couldn't help but brag at his son's seemingly world-renowned prowess. Rebecca turned an evil grin towards Ranma, "How ya doin'... fiancée...?  
  
Genma never got a chance to scream  
  
::FLASHBACK::  
"Well now, Rogers, looks like to our combined efforts, a world threat has been laid low." "But I did all the..." "No buts, it's the duty of a martial artist to save the world from peril..." "Yes but..." "You know, Rogers? I bet if our bloodlines were united, the next generation will be secure from threats like these." "That's really flattering Mr. Saotome, but I don't find you attractive that way, and that won't work for two gu..." "I, Saotome Genma, proclaim that the Saotome and Rogers lines will be united by blood to produce the ultimate hero! One that will lead to an age of heroes!" "I don't think that's a good ide..." "Well now, to celebrate, how about I treat you to some good ol' sake, you buy of course." "But I paid last ti..." "Comon, the bar isn't that far from here..."  
::END FLASHBACK::  
  
"And so after Mr. Rogers helped me make the world safe for democracy..." "Oh my, isn't Japan a hierarchy?" questioned Kasumi. "I bought him and the pub a round of drinks and we went our separate ways, both committed to honoring the pledge for our bloodlines to be merged to create the perfect warrior to protect the world from the most dire of evils," finished Genma as he nursed the multiple lumps and bruises he received from almost every member of the household. "Not quite the same version I got from my dad," deadpanned Rebecca, "anyhow, he also told me that he had no intention of picking my fiancée for me, if I like this Genma's son Ranma, more power to me."   
  
"WHAT? YOU WOULD BREAK THE SACRED PACT BETWEEN TWO HONORABLE WARRIORS?" bellowed Genma indignantly, ignoring Soun's pleas for him to shut the hell up, and everyone else's (including Kasumi's) full blown hysterics. "Sorry, Mr. Saotome, but I'm afraid Ranma's just not my type." "HEY!" yelled Ranma in challenge. "Really Ranma, I promise you wouldn't want to be my type," replied the blond haired girl half lidded, who every so often stole surreptitious looks somewhere else, this action not going unnoticed by Nabiki. "I can be your type, I can be the best damn one of your type you'll ever meet!" Ranma got an obsessive gleam in his eye that was knocked loose by Akane's mallet and Ryoga's fist.   
  
"Thanks you two, he was starting to unnerve me," commented Rebecca gratefully. Akane smiled at the strawberry blond girl, "It seems we got off on the wrong foot, I'm Akane, want to be friends?" Instead of commenting on the rather heated argument they had not too long ago, Rebecca just sighed and stuck out her hand for a handshake, "all my friends can call me Becky."  
  
"Well now, since all the unpleasantly has been put behind us, if you'll just sign this waiver stating that you have no claim as Ranma's fiancée, I'll go clear out the spare room in the dojo for you," stated Soun as he laid the paper and pen in front of the incredulous looking girl as Akane shook her head in disgust. She was pretty sure her new friend's first impressions of her family weren't exactly the most respecting.  
  
  
A sudden flash of light appeared in a lot not too far from the Tendou household, heralding the appearance of a cloaked figure. To relieve himself of some of the discomfort of the warm summer air, the figure bellowed the cape of his cloak, but dared not take it off. The green dragon scale vest previously hidden was flashed briefly as an arm braced in a steel bracer closed them up. It wouldn't due to be discovered just yet, but he knew the time would come eventually if he remained patient. His ki masking techniques have grown exponentially since the last time he had been back to Nerima, along with every one of his other abilities. He would only need to spy on them every so often to ensure what path everything led to, but for now, his role had to be passive... for Akane's sake. 


	4. Introductions Part 3

Ranma 1/2  
Of Lesser  
Chapter 3  
  
  
Rebecca groggily awoke to the sounds of combat, and hesitantly pulled herself from the futon she was supplied in the dojo. Though waking up so early (early by her standards at least) was not something she would want to constantly repeat, the smell of a morning meal resided her to the fact that it would be well worthwhile.   
  
"I could get used to waking up to that girl's cook'n," thought the American girl to her self as she stretched, and pulled on a sweat suit to wear until she could take a shower. The wayward guest took a detour to the outside to see what the commotion was all about, and was rather impressed by the site of Ranma and his father gaining more hangtime than the whole of the NBA lineup, as they traded blows in their ritual morning sparring.  
  
"Whew, stay up there for too long and you two'll be breaking a few air flight regulations," her reply was greeted by a couple of grunts as both fighters finally came to earth on opposite sides of the koi pond they were fighting over.   
  
"Look at you, Ranma! You've been slacking for far too long!" accused Genma with a pointed finger, while stoicly holding himself up without showing how exhausted he had become keeping up with his son. Ranma just snorted as he lept into the air, ever ready for the continued morning battle. The young martial artist's father followed suit, and once again they were comically defying gravity while attacking one another, until gravity started getting upset and pleaded with the two to at least respect her laws.   
  
Genma was first to comply, as he was sent straight into the koi pond, Ranma following behind as he softly landed on his now panda father's head. "Heh, if you're the biggest challenge I'll ever have to face again, I think I could relax until I'm a Amazon elder," stated Ranma smugly as he balanced on the panda's head.   
  
The disgruntled panda pulled out a sign, "[Ranma, I've seen GIRLS with better moves than you!]"   
  
That got on the wrong side of Ranma's attention, as he pushed a bit down and forced the panda's head back into the water, while maintaining balance and not getting wet, "Oh yeah Oyaji? Name one."   
  
Genma calmly pointed to Rebecca who was looking rather confused and haggard at the two, "Oh no, I'm not in this."   
  
Ranma stood a split second shocked almost to outrage that his father would even think such a ridiculous thing (though the girl was good in her own right, Ranma felt that nobody approached his class), which was enough time for his father to take advantage of the distraction, grab his son by the ankle, and turn Ranma into his daughter.  
  
Rebecca shook her head at Ranma's distraction before turning to hear a string of unsavory Japanese dialect usually reserved for discussions of the Japanese Diet. "Must they go through this every morning, I swear if they weren't already broke I would break them so far they would be more liquid than their curse triggers," quipped Nabiki, as she stood looking equally as disheavaled as Rebecca, her pajama top hung haphazardly off one shoulder with her hair in a mess.   
  
The blonde girl stared at Nabiki with a curious expression on her face that made Nabiki suddenly nervous, "and what, pray tell, are you looking at?"   
  
"They do this EVERY morning?" asked Rebecca incredulously, almost sounding forced with its strength.   
  
"Just about, but those are the pains of living with two inconsiderate money pits. I'm gonna go take a bath, you can have it when I'm done." With that, Nabiki turned towards the bathroom barely before Rebecca stopped her.   
  
"Wait, I'll go with you, I don't feel like waiting too long feeling this grungy," she stated a bit cheerfully.   
  
"Nope, I like to have the furo to myself and besides, Akane broke the second bathstool over Ranma's head last night, don't worry though, since I gotta run to school I won't be long."   
  
Becky watched Nabiki dissappear behind the door and turned to acknowlege Ranma-chan's presence behind her, "sup, Ranma? While I'm waiting, wanna spar for a bit?" Ranma's eyes lit up as if offered a challenge,   
  
"Sure, I'll even go easy on ya."   
  
"Aren't you the gentleman," commented the girl dryly, as she stepped to the middle of the backyard with Ranma a few paces behind her. Both bowed to each other then began.  
  
Akane peered out into the yard and spied the two in combat, "wow, she's probably better than Shampoo," Akane stated out loud to herself, Kasumi coming up behind her to catch a glance of the two fighters in action.   
  
"Oh my, I've never seen Ranma work as hard as he is in a sparring match for a while."   
"Huh?" Akane enquired until she looked closer at the two, Ranma's face had a sincere look of concentration, far from the mock one he put on for his father so he wouldn't hurt the Panda's feelings. He was actually being forced to work. Granted, Akane's newfound friend was looking like she was being made to work just as hard, but it wasn't common for anyone to get Ranma so concerned.   
  
Akane turned to the piglet squeal at her ankles, and picked up P-Chan so he could see what she was looking at, "Look P-Chan, I think Ranma's met his match finally," joked Akane to her black pet. The piglet squealed in surprise as he watched Ranma suddenly skidding along the ground from a powerful shoulder charge by Becky that seemed to hit him more than the initial blow. Ranma took a second to get up, and seemed excited.   
  
"What was THAT?" Exclaimed Ranma, who apparently had been introduced to a new technique that he was now eager to find out more about.   
  
"That's Dad's forward defense attack: 'The Charging Star', though my version I call the 'Artillery Shot.' It practically absorbs all attacks without harm while aggressing."   
  
"Wow, not bad, for a girl," stated Ranma smugly, yet with a bit of awe. Rebecca didn't know to be insulted by the comment, or resigned since Ranma actually sounded sincere about it. Becky chose the latter, as she sighed and turned towards the house, idly wondering if Nabiki had finished so she could enjoy a nice nude sweat. She was jolted from her thoughts when she felt a petite hand on her shoulder.  
  
Ranma blinked curiously at the shudder and slight dreamy smile Becky gave, but thought nothing of it, "Hey, um, well... er, you see...." Ranma couldn't finish, and instead flashed a cocky smile at Rebecca that he knew Shampoo, Ukyo, Kodachi, and half the girls at Furinkan High swooned over, no matter what form he was in.   
  
The flaxen haired girl rolled her eyes as she noted what Ranma was trying to do, "Look, this is very flattering and all, but I just wanna get some soaking time done before breakfast is served, okay?"   
  
The girl patted Ranma on the cheek, then walked towards the bathroom just as Nabiki walked out and gave her a nod that it was now free. Ranma stood chalk still for almost ten minutes with an incredulous expression on his face, trying to anaylize the fact that a girl other than Akane had turned him down flatter than 2-D....  
  
  
  
Ranma sat, still female, at the breakfast table with the same incredulous expression on his face, the phrase 'it didn't work' scrolling itself visibly in his mind's eye like an old Windows Screen saver (you know, the one called 'marquee'). Genma had stopped attacking Ranma's plate since he wasn't putting up a fight, thus making it any fun for the robust martial artist. So he decided to introduce the newest Tendou guest to this novel game, as Becky squawked indignantly, and fended the overweight man off while resisting the urge just to jam her chopsticks through his hand and pin it into the table like a moth in an elementary school project.  
  
"What's with you, Ranma?" enquired Akane, utilizing a good portion of annoyance to hide the concern in her voice.   
  
"Yeah boy, why're you so shell shocked? I told you that girl got better moves than you. Oh how low my son has fallen to be up-started by a GIRL!" Genma held his concern in check even more so than Akane, and hoped that the goad would bring his daughter out of her stupor.   
  
"Don't get so depressed Ranma, you have four fiancées as it is. I would think my lack o' interest would be a relief to you. 'Sides, it's not like we can't still be friends, right Nabs?"  
  
Nabiki raised an eyebrow at the familiarity of the American towards her, and made a mental note to charge her for it, "I guess, but my friendships usually don't come cheap," she replied, scooping up another bite of rice. Rebecca looked away quickly after Nabiki's reply and was about to comment when Genma's grave voice cut her off.   
  
"You mean to tell me that my boy here has failed to charm this woman? Oh the shame that my only son is not man enough to capture a girl's heart!"   
  
"WAAAAAAHHHH!!! RANMA'S UGLY!!! NOW AKANE WILL NEVER MARRY HIM AND JOIN THE SCHOOLS!" wailed Soun, his comment immidiatly snapping Ranma to attention in time for a stereo reply between him and Akane of "HEY".  
  
"Who EVER said I was gonna marry the jerk now? Just let him date all the women he wants!" retorted Akane in supreme defiance.   
  
"I AM NOT UGLY!!!!" Screamed Ranma, her petite face burning almost as red as that lovely notch on the gauge that signifies "nuclear winter imminent".   
  
"I dunno sonnyboy, you're look'n kinda homely to me. Been getting enough Zinc in your diet?" stated a shriveled pervert that seemed to have magically appeared at the table and was being served by Kasumi. Ranma's reeled like he had recieved a kidney punch from a wrecking ball.   
  
"Oh no, all my meals supply the appropriate amount of nutrients recommended. Maybe he needs some oxy pads to help with her complexion?" asked Kasumi, taking a slight insult to the indirect affront to her cooking. Ranma felt the sledgehammer slam into his cheek.   
  
"I personally think Ranma just needs a new wardrobe, for a price I can help you go shopping for one," commented Nabiki, carefully wording her phrasing for the appropriate effect. Ranma's head snapped back from an invisible knockout blow.   
  
"Now quit it, Ranma's just had a lot on his mind other than hygiene and self grooming," scolded Akane. Congratulations were in order to the girl with jet black hair as Ranma's head fell forward into his rice. He coulda retorted his usual "uncute tomboy" defense mechanism if it weren't for the fact that she said it without any malice.   
  
Ranma shot up to standing with a raw determination in his face, "That's it, I, Ranma Saotome of the Saotome School of Anything Goes, shall PROVE to you that I'm every bit as handsome and irresistible as I've always been!" Ranma's inspirational speech was punctuated by Akane's mallet slamming the pigtailed boy back into blissful oblivion.   
  
"Thanks, Akane, he was getting that look in his eye again," stated Becky, shuddering at the remembrance of the sight.   
  
"Oh, um, you're welcome I guess," replied Akane, she didn't actually do it for her other guest. Truthfully, she didn't even recall the reason she hit Ranma in the first place.  
. 


	5. Introductions Part 4

Ranma 1/2  
Of Lesser   
Chapter 4  
  
Ranma paid no attention to the folded note tossed at his head, being on the other side of consciousness tended to leave awareness back in jolly ol' reality a bit lacking. Akane fumed even more so than she had for the past half hour and turned back to pay attention in class, finding the teacher's lecture nowhere near as enticing as finding something a bit blunter to toss at escape velocity towards her fiancée. The teacher himself was still turned towards the board, writing little squiggly lines that humanity utilized to communicate non-vocally, but was well aware that the most disruptive student in class was asleep and his raging demon of a fiancée was occupying thoughts of ending their engagement with Ranma's funeral march. After all, it was his classroom, nothing escaped his notice. Within it he was Kamisama himself. NOTHING could harm him in his own classroom.  
  
Ranma was shocked awake by the insane crackling of the teacher. Poor Hayashi-sensei, ever since the incident he was caught in a crossfire between Ranma's Mouku Takabisha and one of principle Kuno's improved pineapple pipe bombs, he barely came out of his classroom, even when other teachers had to lecture.   
  
Finding sleep about as possible as slumber during a concert of steel mills, Ranma shifted gears from lax to lax/bored before he noticed the triangle folded note lying at the head of his desk. The pigtailed martial artist looked around to see whom it belonged to, and noted Akane flaring a light battle aura as she looked towards the head of the class.  
  
"Hmm, must be from Akane," lightly mused Ranma as he unfolded the note;  
  
Ranma. What the HELL do you think you're trying to do, gain another  
Fiancée? You're such an idiot if you think anyone wants you. But if you  
want the foreign floozy then you can just run off together for ALL I care!  
I hate you I hate you I HATE YOU!!  
  
The note went on to mention different grapples Akane intended on her fiancée, all sounding rather kinky to those less naive than Ranma Saotome. Unfortunately Ranma Saotome was as naive as Ranma Saotome, and took the descriptions at face value. "Ranma, would you like to go to the nurse's station? You're looking rather pale," inquired Hayashi-sensei. He couldn't allow someone to be sick in his class, his world was too perfect. The Saotome kid MUST be ejected from Hayashi-san's Eden.  
  
"Er, sure teach. I, uh, think I'll just go on home," said Ranma hoarsely, obviously still trying to recover from Akane's elaborate and creative description for utilizing a basic Anything-Goes school chokehold. "Fine, whatever," dismissed the teacher nonchalantly; silently glad to rid his perfect little world of the disease-ridden vessel. Akane looked on extremely upset that Ranma once again today escaped her holy and wrathful vengeance. How dare Ranma not wake up immediately from his first malletting when she realized that he had given her a sincere reason to hit him? Her honor as a martial artist wouldn't allow her to punish a comatose fiancée, even if he deserved it. Besides, there just was no satisfaction that way. Ranma went sheet white as he noted the glower becoming even darker on the raven-haired girl's face, and made haste for the classroom exit.  
  
  
Becky gratefully accepted her second cup of tea, even the most minor of a distraction taken with great enthusiasm from Soun's incessant prattle. After spending a good fifteen more minutes listening to Soun's verbal essay of why the uniting of the Tendou and Saotome schools would bring about a worldly utopia, the blond girl sighed in relief as the front door opened and closed with a masculine cry of 'I'm home' accompanying it.  
  
"Hello Ranma, why are you home from school so early?" inquired Kasumi as she went to greet the young man. "Hayashi-sensei thought hanging around wasn't gonna be good for my health," Responded Ranma, though he didn't mention the reason he agreed with that statement. The battle aura that Akane was suppressing easily rivaled Ryoga during a full berserker mad-on. Besides which, his hiatus from class just allowed him to sooner get on with his new challenge...  
  
"Hey, yo, Becks-chan!" Rebecca grimaced at the familiarity the pigtailed boy displayed; she didn't recall any mention of new acquaintances using pet names in her 'Understanding Japan the Gaijin Way' handbook. "Uh, what's up, Ranma-'san'," replied the girl, making sure to emphasize the 'San'. Undeterred, Ranma barreled forth, "Heh, I just thought of this funny story I have to tell ya..."  
  
Rebecca's blood ran cold at that phrase; it was one of those lines she always dreaded for the longest time from any guy. "Not another one," she mentally whined to herself as she held up a hand before Ranma could continue, "look, um, hold on, stay right there and hold that story for when I get back, okay?" "Uh, sure," the pigtailed boy replied dumbly as Becky flashed him a smile and headed elsewhere...  
  
Four Hours later, Akane arrived home from school to see Ranma sitting sullenly on the couch, watching TV. The Raven-haired girl let go of the ripcord to start up her temper until she could find out what had gotten Ranma so down. She owed him that at least before she bludgeoned him into a cream. Akane walked around behind him and was ready to smack the inattentive boy in the back of the head and comment on how little attention he's paying to his surroundings, when she was forced to give a startled scream from Ranma's abrupt turn.  
  
"Now, about that stor... oh, hey 'Kane, you seen Rebecca around?" Asked Ranma curiously, his split moment of animation becoming morose once again. Akane became visibly peeved as her fiancée made mention of the new guest to the Tendou Dojo as she turned and stomped away. She was afraid that she was far too ticked to hit Ranma at the moment; since it would be likely she'd kill him in the attack.  
  
Rebecca continued down the business street, hoping to kill some time before dinner. The strawberry blonde waived a few strands out of her face, mumbling for the umpteenth time since she left Ranma standing how she manages to always attract the weird ones. Sure Ranma seemed like a nice guy whenever his mouth stayed in neutral, but he was almost as obsessive as...  
  
Becky stopped that line of thought, as if realizing to think of that one would herald her return in some fashion. Surly Ranma isn't as bad as she was thinking; many guys had attempted the pigtailed boy's current objective. Hopefully with the time she gave him to cool off, he'd already forgotten about it. Feeling a bit lighter with that thought, the American born girl decided it was time to return before they got too worried about where she was.  
  
  
Standing atop a building, a girl obviously not native to the land observed the American girl. She had followed a lot of leads for a good long while, now she found her goal in site. "Soon," mouthed the girl to herself, the world whetting her appetite for vengeance. If not for the crowd below her, nothing would stop her from taking her pound of flesh. Fantasizing about the brutal ways she would gain her retribution, the voyeur didn't notice when the flaxen haired girl turned a corner and out of site.  
  
  
Rebecca was wrong. "He'd already forgotten about it," she mocked her earlier thoughts, "surely Ranma isn't as bas as I was thinking." If she wasn't so exasperated with the situation, she would had been in hysterics, not that her aggravation level isn't close to pushing to that level. She peaked around a corner for any sign of the pigtailed boy and saw the coast was clear, maybe if she could get her gear outta the dojo, she could make a clean break for it. As soon as she started to tiptoe towards the practice hall's door, a rustle came from the tree above her, and she silently cursed as she turned around and found Ranma's face upside down in front of her. "Okay, so this guy walks into a bar with a pet shark..."  
  
Rebecca would have been proud of herself; it had to be the fastest dead start run she had ever made, including that rather unpleasant incident in Paraguay. At that point unfortunately, her mind was focusing on the same acute panic cocker spaniels feel when at an Asian budget gourmet convention.  
  
  
Getting over the surprise at the cartoonish cloud of smoke in the same of a buxom American girl, Ranma pressed to gain up with his current target of accomplishment, "Wait a sec, you haven't even heard the best part yet!"  
  
  
Hoping to lose Ranma with some classic American Football skills, Becky dashed into the first opening she came across, namely the Tendou household's back door. "Coming through, 'scuse me, looks good Kasumi, look'n good Nabby, duck a bit Tendou-san, gain way big guy," Becky commented almost cheerfully as she twisted around Genma, somersaulted over Akane, spun around Kasumi, darted around Nabiki, leapt over Soun, dove between Ryoga's legs, took a bit of time to calmly open the front door, then slam it shut as she continued to run. Ranma was in hot pursuit, avoided all the obstacles, except for two, and suddenly irate girl with short hair and an utterly furious boy with his face planted three inches into the Tendou floor. In sound so clear you'll swear its Memorex came a duel cry of "RRRRRRAAAAAAANNNNNNMMMMMMAAAAAAAA"  
  
  
Rebecca ran as if her very life depended on it (or at least what was left of her sanity), unbeknownst to her that she had gained two more pursuers. Two doubled to 4 as Ukyo and Shampoo started running after Ranma (they always found this a fun game to play with their fiancée), then it became 8 as Tatawake and Kodachi Kuno, Asuza, and the neighborhood barber gave chase. The impromptu marathon kicked up several notches as a ferret craving vengeance descended from a nearby building cloaked in the skin of a cat (skinned and tanned with it's own hands, one of the ferret's proudest talents) and clung Ranma's face like a starving leech to the side of an IV bag. "GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF!!ISWEARI'MGONNALOSEITGETITOFF!!!"  
  
  
Rebecca didn't know how, but suddenly she found the will to run *faster* as she heard Ranma's muffled cries of Japanese being spoken so fast it was gibberish to her ears. The flaxen haired girl feared Ranma's obsession more than ever, her mind briefly flickering to a certain rival who was after her for different reasons.  
  
  
As physically fit as she was, she couldn't run forever. Almost ready to give in to fate, a very small yet prominent part of her survival instinct civilly advised her, with a bull horn; "GOOD LORD GET THE HELL OUTTA THE WAY!!!!!"  
  
  
Becky just barely twisted her head then torso out of the way of a descending heel that would have crunched her like well worn accordion, and rolled away into a defensive stance. The Nerima crew stopped as concrete was pulverized and sent flying in their direction.  
  
  
"No, no, of course, it can get worse, life ALWAYS gets worse," stated Rebecca in a maniacally giddy voice as she looked back towards the dark skinned girl wearing burgundy pants with a black stripe down the sides and a black sports bra who had at same cheerful smile as a death's head ready to begin a slaughter. 


	6. Introductions Part 5

Haize Allores's face may not have shown it, but she was obscenely giddy. Now she'll be able to make HER pay for the hell she has been put through, this time she could not run away. Careful not to skip after her mark, the young South American started an agressive stride towards the panicked Rebecca.  
  
::WHAM::  
"GETITOFFGETTHISTHINGAWAYFROMMEI'MGONNAFREAK!!!!!"  
  
Haize picked herself up from the pulverized concrete, and glared at the retreating figure; eyes promising a reckoning in the near future, but first...  
  
"Uh, Hazel, nice to meet you here of all places, heh..." Becky nervously greeted, before letting out a yelp and ducking a wide horizontal blade hand. She then put a wing guard up against the following left handed swing. But, before she could retaliate, Becky was forced to hop back as Haize spun around and planted her hands on the ground, continuing the momentum for a wide crecent right kick leading by the heel.  
  
"'Meia Lau de Compasso,' the young lady practices Capoeira I see," commented Cologne as she hopped up behind the rest of the audience.  
  
"Huh? Ka-poo-err-ra?" Enquired Akane, butchoring the foreign word that didn't roll off her tongue too well, and idly backfisting Ranma as he ran by, sandwitching the disguised ferret between her fist and his face.  
  
"Yes, a remarkably adaptive fighting technique disguised as a dance created by African slaves brought to the South Americas by the Porteguise. It can be quite powerful, but it's flamboyant nature makes it rather exhausting to practice as a practical fighting art. I would say the young American girl has the advantage."  
  
Sure enough, while the newcomer was using highly acrobatic moves that should exhaust her in a few minutes, Becky was using more modern martial arts moves that were very simple and conservative in style. Since the flaxen haired girl didn't retaliate, it was apparent she was waiting for her opponent to wear herself out.  
  
Rebecca had heard the comments and wished that could be the case, unfortunately, she knew well enough her opponent had stamina to spare due to her special training. A slight smirk appeared on her face when she first discovered Haize's stamina, she didn't mind then as much now. Counterattacking also was futile, since she couldn't come close for a blow without recieving heavy punishment in return. If she didn't find a way to end this soon...  
  
Rebecca suddenly noted a peculiar feeling, as if she was being pulled in. She noticed the sinister smile on the Brazilian's face as she attacked with lighting fast hooking strikes.  
  
"Does the air seem to be getting thinner to you?" asked Akane, noticing her ears popping from lack of pressure.  
  
Cologne narrowed her eyes and watched the fight closer. Suddenly her eyes widened with a slight suprise and tinted with a little awe, "Interesting technique. Come Shampoo, we best gain some distance, and I would suggest the rest of you do the same."  
  
The elderly woman pogoed away before Akane or the others could inquire what she ment, but chose to obey Colonge's wishes.  
  
The seeming magnetic effect Haize's attacks were having finally began to fustrate Rebecca, as she was now ready to become much more aggressive. Suddenly an opening appeared right at the Capoeirastyla's solar plexus, and Becky moved to take advantage of it. With a feral smirk, Haize braced herself, but not for her opponent's attack.....  
  
  
From even their vantage point, the Nerima crew could feel the onrush of air that accompanied the explosion.  
  
"WHAT IS THAT?" Yelled Ranma over the defening rush.  
  
"That, son-in-law, was an attack that rivals even your Hiryuu Shoten Haa. It seems this girl can create vacuum attacks that allow her to condense great amounts of air, creating a sort of pressure bomb for anyone within radius."  
  
"Whoa, that's some attack!" exclaimed Ukyo.  
  
"That it is, now let us see what has become of the two young warriors..."  
  
The damage done was as expected, and the Nerima Crew arrived to what seemed like ground zero of a small nuclear device; both fighters standing amongst the rubble, well, one standing, one flat on her back in intense pain. Allores gained an even more preditory look in her eyes as she started back into her Ginga dance, this time more purposeful, slower, and focused.  
  
"The finishing blow," mumered Ryoga, recognizing the set look in the dusky skinned woman's eyes. She was astutely ready to finish things.  
  
"Only have enough energy for one more move, gotta make this count," whispered Becky to herself as she finally managed to get to her knees, she had caught the full brunt of the attack that seemed to suck her in and push her away at the same time. Her whole torso is gonna be VERY tender for a few days. Her last ditch effort was gonna either save her life, or sign her death certificate.  
  
Haize stepped just ever so slightly differently in her concentrated sway, signifying the delivery of the attack; at that moment, the flaxen haired girl dashed directly into the oncoming kick.  
  
The spectators either clenched for the coming blow or turned away expecting a meaty, unhealthy sounding...  
  
And they clenched even tighter for the meaty, unhealthy sounding...  
  
They unclenched, and turned their gazes back in wonder of what the delay was.  
  
Ryoga was projected back several feet with his nose being the propulsion system, leaving a steady trail of blood as exhaust. Shampoo looked upset that no meaty, unhealthy sounding strike came about, while her Great Grandmother raised an eyebrow at the sight. Everyone else frose as if they were chizeled out of stone, as they witnessed the rather passionate liplock Becky was delivering towards the newcomer.  
  
Haize blinked for several seconds, her mind locked in the twenty-third gear of her twenty four speed brain; one moment she was about to deliver the crushing blow that would restore her honor, the next moment she was on the ground with her opponent's arm's around her neck and...  
  
Slowly the gears started to switch to the appropriate level, and with it did Haize's awareness of the situation. It was rather uncanny the way her battle aura slowly rose at the same rate comprehension dawned upon her what was happening.  
  
"Oh dear," stated Cologne rather clearly, "come along, everyone, it's time once again to retreat to safer grounds."  
  
"She gonna do another one of thost air bombs? We need to stop her before she wrecks the neighborhood even more," Protested Ranma, truth was he was just interested in seeing how she did it, and see if he could figure a way to counter it.  
  
"Trust me, Future Son-in-Law, with the aura of rage that girl was putting out, Nerima in general just became a lost cause..." with that, Cologne hopped a bit faster.  
  
  
Becky finally broke the kiss and gasped for air, she hadn't realized she got a bit carried away. Looking down, Rebecca thought to guage the other girl's reactions. Her observation... well she was dead anyway, may as well get something out of it.  
  
Allores slowly rose from under Becky as the latter sat on her knees and awaited her sentence. She grit her teeth as she sensed the windup for the attack, and peeked as nothing came. Becky became mullified at the sight before her, Haize's head was bowed, her face shadowed by her long burgundy tresses. The slight sparkle that dropped from her face to the ground didn't go unnoticed.  
  
Becky reached out, but almost immidiatly, Haize jumped away at superhuman speed.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________  
  
"And she ran off after that," recalled Rebecca, no less puzzled by the reaction than anyone else.  
  
"So I see, tell me, why would your... " Cologne struggled a bit for a politically correct word that wouldn't freak the less open minded adults present, "friend... be at odds with each other?"  
  
Unfortunatly, Rebecca, being the open minded, Redblooded, American girl who likes to deal in a great deal of shock value, didn't follow the same lines of caution Cologne did, "I guess it had something to do with that parade Brazil, I thought it was pretty good that night myself."  
  
"Well child, that does not explain why she attacked you," commented Nodoka, earning a grimmace and a sigh from Cologne, at least this will keep the elderly matriarch entertained for a bit...  
  
"She probably still blames me for taking her innocense or something like that, I tell ya, she didn't act so innocent in the sack!"  
  
And the cricket symphony could be enjoyed.  
  
Silence reigned as each person present gave a different reaction. Soun and Genma both blinked as they didn't understand the explanation, Ukyo was slowly scooting away with a nervous expression on her face, Nodoka flashed between red and pale in a way that only a strobe like could imitate, Akane stewed her ritious anger, Nabiki looked uninterested, Ryoga threatened to die from blood loss as he began to get woozy and sway a bit, Shampoo looked bored, Cologne waited for someone to throw the punchline, and Ranma just looked as clueless as the elder men.  
  
Finally, Kasumi broke the silence, "Oh, it's good that you two are such friends then, anyone care for some more tea?"  
  
Cologne couldn't contain herself as she fell off her staff laughing, Kasumi was just such a dear.   
  
"Youuuuuu... PERVERT!!!!!"  
  
Everyone stilled at Akane's outburst, not that it wasn't charactoristic of her, but it was still slightly unexpected and they needed to brace themselves.  
  
"Hey! I may be a bit promiscuous, but I'm no damn pervert!" defended Rebecca.  
  
"You were checking us out in secret, you letch!" everyone blinked as Akane was standing over her, radiating like a sun on a noon day; Becky idly suspected that it would be safer to be in the vicinity of Hazel when she was in a serious mad-on.  
  
"Now wait a minute! I was scoping you out openly! And you don't have anything to worry about, being the least attractive of your sisters..." That moment, all small animals frantically ran as if sensing a natural danger, their furry little heels followed by most of the Nerima Crew...  
_____________________________________________________________________________________  
  
The dusky woman sat on the roof of the Tendou home, shivering a bit at the memory of just an hour earlier. The woman did it to her again, and in front of strangers no less!  
  
With a new hardened resolve, Haize decided that her rival will pay a thousandfold for the hell she was put through, after she got some rest.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Ranma looked down in sympathy to Rebecca, as she peacefully twitched under the overturned table, "better you than me."  
  
"What was that, Ranma?"  
  
"Uh, nothing, just paying my condolences, s'all," replied the pigtailed boy, knowing his fiancee wasn't quelled by a mere bludgeoning of a once healthy human being.  
  
"Well, now I think that is enough ecxitement for one day, but now I think it's time for Kasumi to get dinner started, and our new guest will be arriving anytime," stated Soun, hoping to curve any further property damage.  
  
"'Another' freeloader? Daddy, we..."  
  
"Now, now, Nabiki, she's offering to pay her own way for the time being," Soun interrupted Nabiki, "and she told me that she needed a place in town until she finished some business. Plus she has an interesting style of martial arts I've always wanted to find out more about."  
  
"Oh, and what's that, Mr. Tendou?" Asked Ranma, always interested in seeing and learning a new style.  
  
"I believe it's pronounced Capu-oh-erra, it's quite a vibarant style... why is everyone so quiet?"  
  
"Un, Mr. Tendou, does this happen to be a girl, about our age, possibly of South American decent?"  
  
"Well, yes, have you met her?"  
  
Just then, the person in question dropped down into the back yard, yawning from jetlag catching up with her. 


End file.
